How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang
What's It About?
Helen Zhang hasn't seen Grant Shepard once in the thirteen years since the tragic accident that bound their lives together forever. When secrets come to light, they must reckon with the fact that theirs was never meant to be any kind of love story. And yet... the key to making peace with their past - and themselves - might just lie in holding on to each other in the present.How to End a Love Story (Avon) by Yulin Kuang is an intriguing debut novel that is told from the alternating perspectives of two main characters Helen Zhang and Grant Shepard. Set against the backdrop of a writers’ room in LA for a TV adaptation of Helen’s successful book series, the drama and emotions unfold with a combination of tension and emotional depth.
Yulin Kuang — a screenwriter who is currently adapting and directing Emily Henry’s novel, Beach Read, for 20th Century — navigates the complexities of trauma, self-discovery, healing and love.
Love, Healing and Finding Happiness
Helen, a bestselling young adult author, and Grant, a screenwriter, share a complicated history caused by a tragic event that happened during their high school years. Thirteen years later, they find themselves working together in the writers’ room and the awkwardness is unmistakable, making the storyline rich and engaging. Grant’s struggle with panic attacks, a consequence of the past, contrasts with Helen’s battle against self-esteem issues and imposter syndrome. While this may be a love story, this is also a story about finding yourself, figuring out what you want in life and moving on from things that don’t bring you happiness.
Kuang masterfully explores the messy, steamy and electrifying dynamics between Helen and Grant. The novel goes beyond a workplace romance and dives into the characters’ personal struggles and growth. The themes of love and healing are intertwined smoothly, offering readers an honest and real exploration of the human experience. While immersed in the pages of this book, I couldn’t help but reflect on my own emotions as I followed the journey Helen and Grant undertook as they grappled with their intense feelings.
Enemies-to-Lovers For Emily Henry Fans
For enthusiasts of the enemies-to-lovers trope with a touch of open-door romance, How to End a Love Story gives readers two characters that have clear and very strong reasons to not like each other, but end up falling for each other despite a deep and complicated past. The tumultuous relationship between the pair had me unconvinced that they could make it as a couple at first, but after realizing that Grant and Helen bring out the best in each other, their connection becomes undeniable. Grant’s ability to break down Helen’s walls and Helen’s skill in calming Grant during panic attacks form the foundation of their relationship, helping them make peace with their shared trauma.
In conclusion, this novel will particularly appeal to fans of Emily Henry’s books, as I find that she and Kuang have similar writing styles. Yulin Kuang’s debut novel is a wonderful addition to contemporary romance literature that gives readers the perfect balance of heartache and hope. How to End a Love Story is a must-read, leaving readers with a deeper understanding of the complexities of love and the beauty of healing.
About Yulin Kuang:
Yulin Kuang is a screenwriter and director, whose credits include The CW’s I Ship It and Hulu’s Dollface. She was once fired from a Hallmark movie for being ‘too hip for Hallmark’ and is the adapting screenwriter of Emily Henry’s People We Meet On Vacation, as well as the writer/director of the forthcoming Beach Read film for 20th Century Studios. She lives in Pasadena with her husband Zack and their orange cat, Eloise.
